


Freedom

by Mackem



Category: The Musketeers (2014)
Genre: Anniversary, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-28
Updated: 2015-01-28
Packaged: 2018-03-09 12:01:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 833
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3248912
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mackem/pseuds/Mackem
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's been ten years since he walked free. Richelieu remembers.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Freedom

**Author's Note:**

> Ok so in the series one episode "The Exiles" Treville and Richelieu have a little chat about how Treville was thrown into prison last time Marie de Medici was in town, and my mind has not let go of the idea since then. Have I written and intense and gritty tale about Treville struggling in prison surrounded by criminals he put there himself, whilst Richelieu fights to have him released? No, I've written pointless fluff about two of them celebrating the tenth anniversary of him getting out. This is set at some nebulous, unstated time, where Richelieu is still around to have a prickly relationship with Treville, at each other's throats one moment and working as a ball-busting team the next. (What do you mean, that was never actually the case? ...God, I miss Richelieu.)

Darkness has long since fallen when he hears the knock at his door.

Treville looks up from his report, not surprised in the slightest by the interruption. He already knows who is behind it. “Yes?” he calls, and the door swings open to reveal Aramis.

“Pardon the intrusion at such a late hour, sir, but you have a visitor,” he says, and steps aside with as insincere a smile as Treville has ever seen. Treville gets to his feet as Cardinal Richelieu sweeps past Aramis with an irritable look at the musketeer. “I informed him you were working, and were not to be disturbed, and that no doubt you mean to retire at any moment, and yet - ”

“ - And yet I rudely insisted upon being given an audience, regardless of your attempts to shoo me away,” Richelieu says to Aramis with a sharpness he does not bother to disguise. “One might think I know my own business better than those it does not involve. Or perhaps you believe I would traipse my way across Paris at such an hour on business I consider unimportant?”

Aramis removes his hat and holds it to his chest with an apologetic expression Treville does not believe for a moment. “You are correct, of course. Please forgive my lack of manners, Your Eminence. I am certain you _always_ believe your business important enough to merit attention, regardless of the hour,” he says, and follows his words with a deep bow. Treville allows his amusement to show for a fraction of a second, ignoring the Cardinal’s icy gaze, before he pointedly clears his throat.

“Thank you, Aramis. That will be all. You can leave us.”

“Of course,” says Aramis, though he hesitates for a moment before he goes.

“How flattering,” Richelieu aims at the closing door, his tone withering. “Your men are wary of leaving you alone in my company. Tell me, Captain, which is it: do they consider _me_ unwise enough to attack you in your own garrison, or _you_ too feeble to fend me off?”

“Perhaps they do not wish to underestimate you,” Treville offers. His words draw Richelieu’s attention from his closed door, and after a moment, a smile flashes across his lips.

“Despite their faults, their devotion to their Captain is commendable, at the least,” he says. “Especially when they fret he is awake past his bedtime.”

“While I’m certain your men don’t spare a moment of thought on your behalf,” Treville counters.

“Nor would I wish them to,” says Richelieu briskly, and startles an amused huff from Treville.

“To what do I owe the pleasure of your company?” he asks, as though he does not know. As though the date has escaped him. 

Any other day, he would expect such coy behaviour to be received with undisguised scorn from the Cardinal; today, Richelieu merely pulls his hands from beneath the folds of his cape. Held in one is a small bottle, which he hands over to Treville. “I happened across this, as I passed through my wine cellar,” he says lightly. “I thought perhaps you’d appreciate it.”

Treville removes the rag from the bottle and raises it to his lips, taking a small sip. It is brandy, rich and warm and oaky, and Treville savours the taste before swallowing. “This is rather fine,” he says, and Richelieu nods.

“I thought it appropriate,” he says lightly. “It’s been aged for ten years.”

Treville cannot stop the smile that spreads across his face. “Thank you,” he says softly, and gestures at the chair opposite his desk. “Will you join me?”

“I see no reason not to. I doubt associating with an ex-convict can damage my reputation any more than it already has,” Richelieu allows, and seats himself as Treville hunts out two cups.

“No more than actively seeking the release of a convict did, certainly. In fact, I suspect your reputation would be harmed more by being seen associating willingly with the Captain of the Musketeers,” Treville says, and pours a generous measure of brandy into each cup. He hands one to Richelieu and seats himself at his desk, amused by Richelieu’s answering grimace.

“We are agreed upon that, at least.”

“And my reputation in return,” Treville adds innocently, and hides his smirk behind a sip of the brandy. He can feel it warming him immediately, though some of the sensation may come from seeing Richelieu roll his eyes in affront.

“If you are quite finished,” Richelieu says pointedly, “I would like to propose a toast.”

“As you wish,” allows Treville. “To what would you care to toast? To excellent brandy?”

Richelieu raises his cup. “To the freedom of good men,” he says, his tone light, and Treville finds himself lost for words. He raises his own cup to meet that of Richelieu, and finds a warmth in his expression that he is quite unused to seeing. 

“Thank you,” he manages, and does not hide his smile. “As you say. To freedom, and to good men, Armand.”


End file.
